About
Cassia is the dried inner bark of Cinnamomum cassia (syn. C. aromaticum), a tropical evergreen tree native to southern China, Burma, and Vietnam; it is the most widely sold form of 'cinnamon' in global markets and is used as a spice and flavouring in foods and beverages for its warm, pungent taste. Unlike Ceylon ('true') cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), cassia contains significantly elevated levels of naturally occurring coumarin.
Safety summary
Cassia is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) at normal culinary amounts; however, it contains high concentrations of coumarin (mean ~3,856 mg/kg in retail samples, ranging up to ~9,000 mg/kg), a compound with documented hepatotoxic potential. EFSA established a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 0.1 mg/kg body weight per day for coumarin; children and heavy cassia consumers can readily exceed this threshold, as just 3–4 cinnamon star cookies of typical weight (5 g each) may push a child to the tolerable daily limit. Individuals with CYP2A6 genetic polymorphisms (more prevalent in Asian populations) are at elevated risk of hepatotoxicity due to impaired coumarin metabolism.
Regulatory landscape
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Restricted | Cassia is permitted as a spice/flavouring ingredient; however, coumarin naturally present in cassia is subject to maximum residue limits in finished food products under EU Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings (effective January 2011): 50 mg/kg in traditional/seasonal bakery ware with reference to cinnamon, 10 mg/kg in breakfast cereals (including muesli), 5 mg/kg in fine bakery wares, and 2 mg/kg in other foods/beverages. EFSA TDI for coumarin: 0.1 mg/kg bw/day. No numeric limit is set on cassia spice itself.source |
| Food Standards Agency (FSA) / Food Standards Scotland (FSS) (United Kingdom) | Restricted | Cassia is permitted as a spice/flavouring; coumarin limits in finished food products are retained from EU Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 post-Brexit. UK FSA survey found average dietary coumarin exposure in all UK population groups was below the EFSA TDI of 0.1 mg/kg bw/day, though the South Asian population sub-group showed higher exposure due to greater cinnamon/cassia consumption.source |
| Health Canada (Canada) | Approved | Cassia permitted as a natural spice/flavouring. Deliberate addition of isolated coumarin to foods is not permitted. CFIA surveys (2014–2016) determined that coumarin levels in commercially available cinnamon-containing foods were generally not expected to pose a health concern to the general population.source |
Who should approach with care
Research citations
- 1PubMed. Safety of Cinnamon: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews of Randomized Clinical Trials, 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2PubMed. Coumarins in Food and Methods of Their Determination, 2020. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3PubMed. The Relation between Hepatotoxicity and the Total Coumarin Intake from Traditional Japanese Medicines Containing Cinnamon Bark, 2016. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4other. Coumarin in Cinnamon, Cinnamon-Containing Foods and Licorice Flavoured Foods – CFIA Survey Report (April 2015 – March 2016), 2015. inspection.canada.ca
- 5PubMed. Assessment of Coumarin Levels in Ground Cinnamon Available in the Czech Retail Market, 2012. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6EFSA. Coumarin in flavourings and other food ingredients with flavouring properties – Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (AFC), 2008.
